Electric plug and connection holder



Dec. 17,` 1935. R. H. HosKlNs 2,024,734 ELECTRIC PLUG ANb CQNNEQTION HOLDER f Filed Aug. 4, 1954 gnk y L/ Patented Dec. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOLDER ELECTRIC PLUG AND CONNECTION 9 Claims.

My invention relates to a combination electric plug which may be connected to a Wall socket having formed integral therewith a holder adapted to support a connector element on the opposite or free end of an electric cord or cable leading from the plug.

An object and feature of my invention in a combination plug and holder as above described is to form the plug element of a type with contacting elements adapted to make an electric circuit with a. wall or similar socket. The holder part is thus held in a horizontal position as regards the wall and a connector such as is commonly used on the free end of the electric cord may be supported on this holder when it is not 1n use.

A further object and feature of my invention is forming the holder part of the combination plug in the form of a bracket made with a horizontal yoke having a pair of spaced parallel arms. These arms have a horizontal upper surface on which an electrical connector may rest with the cord extending downwardly between the prongs or arms of the bracket.

2.'- Another detailed feature of my invention relates to having upturned tip ends on the arms to prevent the connector slipping oi the bracket and to shape these on the inside; thus, there is space between the prongs to accommodate a coiled wire protector surrounding part of the loose electric cable.

A further detailed feature as to the plug part of my invention relates to having a cable or cord opening on the underside of the plug portion so that when the plug is secured in a wall socket the cord will drop downwardly parallel to the Wall, and by forming a loop in the cord, the connector on the free end may be suspended by the holder or bracket.

With my construction the bracket or holder portion may also function for attaching the plug to a socket and also for pulling or removing the plug from the socket the two arms of the yoke thus affording a convenient device to be grasped by the hand when attaching and removing the plug from its socket.

My invention can be readily used with either high or low wall sockets. If these are at a relatively high elevation, the cord may extend downwardly from the bottom of the plug and a connector attached to different utensils, and thus, when this connector is not required on the articles, instead of removing the Wirecompletely from the wall socket, the connector may be supported by the yoke-like bracket. If the wall socket is in a low position it may be reversed so that the cord leading off at right angles to the axis of the plug may extend upwardly. These types of plugs are usually made with two contact bars insertable in a pair of slots in the socket 5 and they should be arranged so that when attached to a wall socket the arms of the bracket will extend horizontally.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which: 10 Fig. 1 is a side elevation taken in the direction of the arrow I of Fig. 2 with the device attached to a wall.

n Fig. 2 is a front elevation taken in the direction of the arrow 2. 15

Fig. 3 is a plan taken in the direction of the arrow 3 of Fig` l with the device detached from the Wall.

Fig. 4 is a bottom View taken in the direction of the arrow 4-4 of Fig. 1 with theY device de- 20 tached from the Wall.

In my invention I employ a body or plug structure II which is illustrated as forming substantially a hemisphere, being domed on the outer portion I2 and having a rim I3 forming a plane 25 surface. A pair of electrical conductors I4 are secured to this plug portion of the structure in a manner now used in connection with electric plugs.

Extending outwardly from the plug portion 30 proper there is a horizontal head structure I5. This has a ridge IB at the top immediately adjacent the plug portion and a ilat surface Il at the bottom. This flat surface is provided with an opening I9 for entrance of an electric cord or 35 cable 20, this latter being attached to the conductors I4 in the usual manner. Such an arrangement allows the cord to hang (vertically parallel to a wall 2| when the plug is secured to a wall socket, the cord forming a loop 22 at the 40 bottom.

Formed integral with the plug portion and the head portion of my invention there is an outer bracket 23 which is formed in the manner of a yoke with a pair of parallel arms or prongs 24 45 spaced apart by the open space 25 extending downwardly therethrough. Each of these arms has a fiat inside surface 26 which tapers from the bottom upwardly. This is to accommodate the taper formed on a coiled wire protector 21 50 surrounding the outside looped section 28 of the cord. A connector 29 is illustrated as attached to this outer portion of the loop of the cord.

The upper edge 30 of each of the arms is flat so that this edge on both arms will be in the 55 same horizontal plane and at the end of each arm there is an upwardly extending nub 3|. Between the arms at the top there is a ilat surface 32 and the inside faces 26 of the arms are joined by a curved surface 33.

A connector may be supported on the bracket by having the outer loop of the cord inserted in the open space 25, this being of suilicient size to accommodate the coiled wire protector 21. The lower end of the connector 29 rests on the horizontal plane upper edges 30 of the two prongs and on the flat surface 32 at the inner ends of these arms. The horizontal head structure I5 having the ridge I6 with the curved surface 33 limits the inward insertion of the connector 29, and the nubs 3| prevent the connector slipping off the outer ends of the prongs or arms.

Where my invention is used in a wall socket which is at a relatively high elevation above the place in which the connector 29 is to be attached to some utensil, when this connector 29 is detached from the utensil the connector may be supported on the bracket portion of the device and the conductors Il grip the wall socket with suilicient tightness to support the loop of the cord and the connector. If the wall socket is at a low elevation the devicemay be reversed so that the cord may lead upwardly, that is, the opening I9 will face up instead of down, but in this case the device is not adapted for supporting a connector.

It will be apparent that the bracket having the yoke withthe two prong arms may be readily used for attaching the plug to a wall socket or detaching the same from the socket, as it affords va convenient hand grip.

It will be apparent that my invention may be used in the manner of an ordinary plug to connect in any socket of a suitable type, no matter whether this is on a wall` or in a wall or ceiling connection. Of course, unless the bracket portion could occupy a horizontal position it would not afford a support for a connector or the llike but the prongs would give a'convenient hand grip for attaching and detaching the plug.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim: y

1. In a device as described, the combination of an electric plug having a plurality of conductors adapted for attachment to an electric wall socket, a bracket formed integral with the plug and constructed in the form of a yoke having a pair of spaced arms, the upper edges of the arms being in the same horizontal plane and adapted to support an electrical connector, the plug having an opening in the bottom, an electric cord depending from said opening adapted to form a loop, the upwardly extending portion of the loop being accommodated in the space between the two arms and the connector supported on the horizontal surface of both of the'arms.

2. In a device as described in claim 1, each of the arms having an upwardly extending nub at its -upper outer end to prevent the connectori slipping off the said arms.

3. In a device as described, a plug having a plurality of electric conductors rigidly attached thereto and adapted for insertion in an electric wall socket, a bracket formed integral with the plug and having a yoke, a pair of spaced arms, said arms having parallel upper edges in 5 the same horizontal plane and each upper edge having a nub on its outside end.

4. In a device as described in claim 3, the inside surface of the arms converging upwardly and adapted to'accommodate a coiled wire pro- 10 tector, and an electric cord extending upwardly through the protector, the upper edges of the arms being adapted to support an electrical connector attached to said cord.

5. In a device as described in claim 3, the in- 15 side surface of the arms converging upwardly and adapted to accommodate a coiled wire protector, and an electric cordextending upwardly through the protector, the upper edges of the arms being adapted to support an electrical con- 20 nector attached to said cord, the plug having an opening at the bottom adapted to receive an electric cord connected to the conductors to suspend the cord in the form of a loop parallel to the wall. 25

6. In a device as described, an electric plug dome-shaped on one side and having a circular `rim forming a vertical plane surface when the plug is attached to an electric wall socket, a horizontal head structure formed integral with the 30 dome portion of the plug and having a bracket in the form of a yoke with a pair'of parallel arms spaced apart, said space having an inner curved surface joining the two arms, and a at top surface between thearms and between said curved 85 surface and said head.

7. In a device as described in claim 6, said head having an opening in its lower surface, an electric cord extending therethrough, a connector on the opposite end of the cord, a protecting wire 40 coil surrounding part of the cord adjacent the connector, the inside surfaces of the arms converging upwardly to accommodate theprotector, the upper edges of the arms having a/horizontal surface in the same plane to support the con- 45 nector, and each arm having a nub on its top edge at its outer end to prevent the connector slipping off said arms. l

8. In a device as described, the combination of a plug having a plurality of prongs in the 50 form of electrical conductors rigidly attached thereto, adapted for insertion in an electric wall socket, a bracket formed integral with the plug and having a yoke formed of a pair of spaced arms, said arms having parallel upper edges supported in a horizontal plane, when the prongs are attached to a wall socket, an electric cable having one end secured in the plug and forming an electrical connection with the prongs, a connector attached to the other end of the cable and 6 resting on the upper edges of the arms, the cable adjacent the connector fitting between the said arms.

9. In a device as claimed rin claim 8, the arms having inside surfaces converging upwardly and the cable adjacent the connector having a protector with an upward taper to engage the converging faces of the arms.

RAYMOND H. HOSKINS. 

